Snapshot
by New DCD
Summary: [MAJOR SPOILERS] It was just after Sojiro had dropped off his ward for his trip back home that he came to notice something off about the probation journal the boy had handed over: Some of the pages near its middle were not actually bound to the notebook -I t was a letter, addressed to him. / In which the youth describes in writing to the father how the daughter makes him feel.
1. Snapshot

It was just after Sojiro had dropped off his ward for his trip back home that he came to notice something off about the probation journal the boy had handed over: Some of the pages near its middle were not actually bound to the notebook.

He had considered opening the shop as soon as he got back, but decided against it. Sojiro wanted - no, needed - time to mull on the events of the past year. From the look of the pocket-sized sheets scattered atop the countertop, the boy who'd lived in the attic until that day had decided to give him a hand with that.

It was a letter, concealed in the pocket-sized record like a tree hidden in a forest, addressed to him.

Plopping himself down in one of the booths with papers in tow, Sojiro took a deep breath before adjusting his glasses and perusing the message.

* * *

 _Sojiro,_

 _I owe you an apology, don't I?_

 _You deserve as much, yet I cannot bring myself to give you one._

 _I remember that day in the chapel; the request you made as you fretted over Futaba's future._

 _But by that point, there was no turning back for me._

 _Without realizing, I had already fallen for Futaba._

* * *

Sojiro sighed before pinching at the bridge of his nose beneath his glasses. It wasn't like he didn't already know those two were awfully close (he'd have to be **stupid** not to notice), but reading something like that about his daughter - from the youth who became family to him, no less - certainly made him feel conflicted. On one hand, his protective paternal instincts immediately kicked into overdrive; on the other, the boy was reliable and cared for Futaba like no other. A far cry from Sojiro when he was his age, who had fashioned himself a dandy lady-killer.

Perhaps he should thank his lucky stars the young man interested in his daughter never took up Sojiro's offer for "education" in regards to dealing with the opposite sex. Karma would've liked a word then.

Resigning himself, he kept on reading.

* * *

 _It all started when she came to me with a peculiar request: she wanted me to help her work through a "promise list". Basically, it was a list of objectives she'd commit to fulfilling and when they were all complete, she'd get a reward. She used to do it all the time with her mother, and all of the promises were meant to help her reintegrate into society - how could I ever say no to that? Honestly, I was touched she would decide to rely on me for something so personal._

 _And so, I became her "key item". Honestly, it was a little embarassing to be called that...but it made me glad, too. It was just too endearing._

 _Little by little, Futaba made her way back out into the world. I couldn't help but find her brave to face these issues head-on so soon after we'd stolen her heart, even if others might have found her little victories as something to take for granted. Seeing her smile so brightly every time she completed another promise infected me with her cheer._

 _But sometimes, my heart would be wrung and twisted. Like the time she told me about her experiences at school, how the other kids would bully her, and about her only friend..._

 _And then you told me about the treatment she received from her uncle after her mother passed away. I still remember how my blood bubbled as if it had caught fire._

* * *

Sojiro closed his eyes. Back then, the boy's expression had remained neutral for the most part, but his eyes spoke a different story. Anger, sorrow, and determination blazed within the pools of grey all at one. How could he forget such a sight?

* * *

 _I'll be completely honest. When that scum tried to hit Futaba, I almost lost it. I shielded her by merely stepping out of the way, but...what I really wanted was to break him. To punch him until my knuckles ran red, and his face was a bloody unrecognizable mess. I wanted to repay him hundredfold for the pain he made Futaba endure._

 _I only managed to stop myself when I considered how it'd add to Futaba's grief._

 _After he'd threatened to sue and left, I wanted to rush to her and make sure she was all right, but your concern brought me back down to reality. Thank you for that, by the way._

 _It was also around that time that I realized that what I looked forward the most every day was the opportunity to spend time with Futaba. I didn't think much about it at first, and attributed it simply to her boundless enthusiasm. But unbeknowst to me, she was becoming far more precious to me than anyone else._

 _We had managed to help Futaba's elementary school friend when she made another odd request. She wanted me to pat her head, like her mother used to do, for completing a promise after many years. Strange, to be sure, but I couldn't bring myself to say no._

 _Her reaction was, in a word, startling. She kept talking about how her heart was beating so fast, and how her face was all flushed; and then...her descriptions made me feel the same way. My heart started racing. Once she left, I tried to push it out of my mind._

 _But then, it was your words at the chapel that made everything click. That night, once we made our way back home, I came to a single realization:_

 _I love Futaba._

 _...It feels really good to write that._

* * *

It was at this point that Leblanc's owner knew he needed a moment. Shakily, he stood up from the booth seat, headed behind the counter and began to brew a blend. He was an unthinking coffee-making automaton at work, the preparation of the beverage so ingrained into his muscle memory he allowed himself not to think as he prepared a cup for himself. Of course, he eventually had to finish, and in turn, face the reality of the situation once more.

With bitter concoction in hand, and letter in the other, he braved on.

* * *

 _I want to write it again._

 _I love Futaba._

 _I love Futaba so much!_

* * *

"Geez," Sojiro spoke for no one but himself. "Try to keep it together, kid. Remember who you're talking to".

While his inflection carried annoyance and disapproval, the upturned corners of his mouth told the empty cafe everything that needed to be said.

* * *

 _Sorry, I just...at this moment, I feel like the luckiest man alive. Meeting Futaba, meeting you, becoming friends with everyone - who knew something like a criminal record could bring so much fortune; so many precious things into my life? Had I ignored what was happening in front of me that day, my life wouldn't be what it is today. Enduring the pain was worth it._

 _Back to my history with Futaba. To be honest, when I came to recognize my feelings for her, I was...apprehensive. She's been through so much, I was worried she would not be ready for a sentimental relationship. I figured that was fine with me, as long as I could help her and keep her from harm._

 _That was the plan, anyways - Futaba kind of blew it wide open when she asked me straight out why I treated her like I did._

 _I thought about lying, but...I couldn't bring myself to ever lie to Futaba. So I told her the truth: "Because I love you"._

 _Her reaction to that was the cutest thing. She stood there, paralyzed, for what I'm pretty sure were minutes! I was afraid I had just overloaded the poor girl. But she was happy - that's all that mattered._

 _That's how we started dating. My feelings since then have become even stronger, and they've kept growing each day, even when I was locked in juvenile hall. Reminding myself I was enduring that punishment to protect Futaba and the others kept me going._

 _I'm so proud of her, too. She's come a long way. We all helped her to get started, but her progress these last few months - that's all her. Little by little, she's built back the life that was taken from her. She said I gave it back to her, but the truth is she's the one who's been putting it together all along._

 _What I'm trying to say, Sojiro, is that I could never apologize to you. That would imply even just a tiny little bit of regret for loving Futaba, and I won't ever regret how I feel for her. I just want you to know one thing._

 _I want to fill Futaba's days with happiness._

* * *

The youth's signature followed, signifying the end of his message. Having long since finished his coffee, Sojiro stared at the brown circles on the bottom of the cup, lost in thought.

"Well," he finally thought to himself, "I did mention having him call me 'dad' might not be so bad... should it come to that".

With a contented grin on his face and a sprightly spring on his step, he headed to the entrance and flipped the sign to "Open", all whilst wondering what his children were doing.

* * *

It was unanimous - they'd stop by the shore and enjoy the sea, if just for a short while. The journey home for the leader of the Phantom Thieves could wait a little longer.

The cool, salty sea breeze played with Futaba's hair and caressed her face with a touch as gentle as her lover's. Speaking of which, he walked in front of her, bare feet digging into the sand underneath, pants rolled above the ankle.

A little further in, Ryuji spiritedly ran on waves, kicking up water and earning a spiteful scolding from Ann betrayed by the glee in her eyes. Elsewhere, Haru cradled Morgana in her arms, scratching under the cat's chin. Makoto had decided to join her, chatting spiritedly with her fellow senior, and even joining in showing their animal friend some affection. Yusuke, by his lonesome, created a rectangular frame with his fingers and boxed his friends within, his expression perhaps the most content his friends had ever seen.

"We should join them," Joker, her Joker, turned to her and gestured idly at their precious friends with his head.

Futaba, however, paused his advance by tugging at his sleeve. "Hey, hey," she said. "I-I want to make one more memory with you before you go back home," the reddening of her cheeks was unmistakable, and the boy wished he could embrace her right at that moment.

Which he would've done, but their relationship was a secret from the other Phantom Thieves, partly to preserve their group's dynamics, and partly because Futaba would've probably died of embarrassment.

"Want to slip away for a second?" he asked, scanning their surroundings for a possible exit strategy, but the girl shook nervously shook her head.

"N-no. Not this time. I want to...I want to be open about us".

The boy beamed. "You sure? You might get teased a lot about it during the ride back".

She shifted on her feet and shrugged. "I think I've gained enough levels to handle the final boss now".

He raised an eyebrow playfully. "That so? Well, one more memory for the road, th-"

"Hey, you two! Get over here, we're gonna take a picture!" Ryuji's booming voice interrupted as he waved at them from his position next to an expensive-looking camera perched atop a tripod. It was pointed at the the ocean, and in turn, at their friends, who had already taken positions for a picture.

The raven-haired youth spied a small black remote in his buddy's hand, and a dangerous smirk made its way across his countenance. "Oh, have I got a plan".

She caught on immediately and her nervousness mixed in with excitement. "As expected of my Joker - always doing _everything_ in style".

"Showtime?" he asked.

She nodded. "See you at the post-credits scene".

It was time to spring their most daring plan into action, just the two of them.

They approached their friends and stood in their midst. "Hey, what were you two talking about back there?" Ryuji asked.

Their leader paid the question no heed. "Can I do the honors?" he requested, and Ryuji was more than happy to oblige, handing him over the wireless shutter controller.

"You still haven't answered my question, though," Ryuji insisted, but that was soon drowned by Ann speaking up.

"Wait a minute," the blonde model interjected. "Are you guys holding han-?!"

The shutter of the camera closed with a telltale click, forever committing to film the bewildered expressions of the other Phantom Thieves as the two young lovers kissed.

* * *

NOTES:

This couple gives me life.

Also I really gotta update my other stories (if you happen to follow any of them, just know punk's not dead, just a little stumped. A little stumped for nearly a year).


	2. Picture Perfect

**NOTES:** Thanks for the great feedback, everyone. Your ideas spurred me to write a short continuation to what was originally meant to be standalone. I hope you enjoy it!

That said, no more continuations after this...in text, at least. I'm working on a comic/doujinshi/whatever ya wanna call it and it will sooooorta reference these events (but will be able to stand on its own). So that's the plan!

I'll let you know when that's done!

* * *

Ann Takamaki was a lot of things. Student, model, Phantom Thief, friend. One thing she definitely wasn't was blind.

From her angle, she got a good look at the girl's hand wrapped around the boy's, even if they tried to conceal it between each other.

Her mind started to connect the dots, but like always, her mouth fired off first: "Wait a minute, are you guys holding han-?!"

She never finished the phrase; she didn't need to. Instead, she bore witness to how two sets of lips became one.

The tall boy embraced Futaba as they melded into each other, the girl standing on air with leg lifted and toes curled inwards.

The scene unfolding in front of her would be the cutest thing she'd ever seen, Ann thought, if she wasn't also a little jealous of the bespectacled girl (and even then, a little voice said in the back of her thoughts, it probably still was).

Too taken by the happening, it would've been impossible for Ann to register anything else around her. Naturally, she didn't acknowledge Ryuji's jaw gaping so wide it threated to dislocate, nor Makoto's splayed fingers sympathetically covering her mouth in surprise. Neither could she recognize Yusuke's popping eyes, nor Haru's comical, quizzical pout, and certainly not her own twitching eyelid.

"O-oh," the one to ruin the moment was, surprisingly, Makoto. "W-well, this is certainly unexpe-"

" **TRAITOR**!" Ryuji interrupted, not to be outdone, before dashing at the couple while yelling at the top of his lungs.

The trickster, for his part, spun around while keeping his lady love aloft, evading the trajectory Ryuji's charge with adept grace. The attacker braked, the soft surface making him lose his footing and spill over, undignified. "Dang it, you owe me a noogie, you son of a gun!" Ryuji protested, face caked in sediment not detracting from either his mock indignation or his good cheer.

"Wait," Yusuke said, spectating the scene. "Why does everyone seem so agitated?"

"Uhm, Yusuke..." Ann begun, "Did you somehow miss that huge kiss?"

"...I don't follow," the artist responded bluntly and with characteristic obliviousness.

Ann sighed, hand resting on her shaking head, "Those two have a thing going...are you not even a little bit startled?"

Yusuke shook his head. "You mean, no one else was aware of their closeness?"

"Wait," Makoto stepped in, "you mean you knew?!"

"Such longing gazes those two would always share...such a passion in their eyes would've been difficult to ignore".

"Artists really are something else," Haru giggled (albeit a little forcefully), holding the camera close to her chest. "Noticing details everyone else would miss. There is one thing I don't understand, though".

"What would that be?" the painter inquired.

"Here," the heiress presented the device, the LCD screen on its back displaying that precious moment, but the couple was not the subject of Haru's curiosity. Fiddling with the controls, she instead zoomed in on Yusuke and his protuding eyeballs. "For someone who already knew, you certainly look shocked!"

"Ah, that," Yusuke smiled to himself, appearing satisfied. "That was in response to everyone's magnificent expressions. Once we return to Tokyo, I have much to paint".

Ann chuckled nervously, a little taken aback yet knowing she shouldn't be. "That's our Yusuke, alright".

"Let us fetch Ryuji, everyone," Makoto suggested, "and return to Morgana by the shade. Those two could use a little more private time".

So they did, dragging off the former track runner who had since been pestering his friend to "hook him up with a cute girl". After all, Ryuji argued, his friend was a taken man now.

* * *

They'd decided to simply gaze at the ebbs and flows of the tide, the water not quite reaching the spot where they sat on the sand. Futaba's head rested on his shoulder, her peaceful breathing filling him with longing.

The comfortable silence was eventually broken by her: "You really have to go back, don't you?"

All he did was nod.

"I know I said I wouldn't do something selfish like making you choose between me or your hometown, but..." Futaba closed her eyes and shifted, "...Right now, I kind of wish I could be that type of inconsiderate person".

"I wouldn't," her boyfriend responded, "because it wouldn't be you. You're perfect the way you are".

Futaba chuckled, her face flushed. "Gosh, you can be so very cheesy".

"You know you love it".

"Of course I do, boyfriend".

He absentmindedly caressed her shoulder with his thumb before letting out a sharp breath and turning to look at her. "Futaba. I have to go back, but...I will return to you. That's a promise".

"A promise, huh?" She closed her eyes and put her hand on his, basking in the warmth, their warmth. "I, too, have a promise I want to make. 'I will wait for you'. I'll make sure to write it down..."

Her Joker glowed. "The promise notebook, huh? I take you'll want a reward when that promise is complete?"

She shook her head. A dirty joke had come to mind, but she wanted to speak from her heart this irreplaceable moment. "It will be its own reward. Having you by my side...I can't think of anything I would want more".

"Futaba..."

Their lips met once more, but this time, it was not a bombastic, theatrical affair like before. Instead, this soft, gentle, sweet kiss told them everything they needed to know, and everything they wanted to hear.

* * *

The chime by the entrance informed Sojiro that Leblanc had visitors.

Leaning on the counter, the proprietor of the café saw a familiar face alongside a new one.

"Yo, boss!" Ryuji Sakamoto, the energetic troublemaker with a golden heart, waved. Besides him, a lovely lady stood, a black headband  
wrapped around her bright, golden hair. If there's one thing that struck Sojiro about her, besides the obvious age gap between her and the high schooler and her peculiar fashion sense, it was her the color of her eyes - a deep, pure violet.

"Hey there, kid. Who's the lady? Relative of yours?"

Ryuji grinned wider than in a toothpaste commercial. "Nope! Chihaya and me are here on a date!"

Sojiro recalled that name. "Chihaya...Mifune? I remember the kid mentioning a fortune teller by that name".

Ryuji nodded fervently. "Yup, yup! I asked him for help with girls, and he told me to visit this fortune teller! At first I thought he was pulling my leg, but he kept insisting that her predictions were the real deal".

Sojiro grinned and quirked an eyebrow at the woman. "So, did he ask for a love reading or something?"

Chihaya giggled in response. "He's quite transparent, isn't he? That's exactly what he did".

"Must've gone pretty well, huh?"

"Actually," Chihaya replied, seemingly downtrodden, "his was probably the worst result I've ever seen...it said he'd never have a significant other in his life," and then she perked up considerably "but!"

"I decided to ask her out then and there, Boss!"

"To be honest, I was impressed at seeing someone defy fate so valiantly... an' with lil' ol' me, no less," she squeaked, her delivery changing towards the end.

Sojiro's shoulders shook. "Well, as long as it ends well for you. By the way, would you mind if I ask you for a favor, Ryuji?"

The boy tilted his head. "Huh, sure? As long as it ain't anything big. Got a date, after all".

"Futaba's upstairs. Can you go check up on her?"

"Sure, but in exchange, can you help Chihaya pick a blend she might like?"

After a few words of affirmation, Ryuji was climbing the stairs to the attic, which had doubled as his best friend's room, and their hideout, during those unforgettable days.

Surprisingly, the chamber was spotless. A damp mop rested against the wall near a houseplant, and Ryuji that the room had been cleaned just recently.

It wouldn't take a genius to realize that the one responsible lay sprawled on the bed, sleeping placidly. She was still wearing her glasses; perhaps her energy had run out from exertion.

In her slumber, Ryuji could tell, she spoke her lover's name.

He turned to leave, but something by the television caught his eye and he decided to get a closer look. The rectangular object soon found its way into his hand as he studied it.

"So, making sure this place is ready for whenever he returns, huh?"

The picture frame was a new addition to the room, but felt like it'd always belonged.

"Here's to you two".

He placed the photograph back down with a grin before heading downstairs, while daydreaming about others that the future may bring.


End file.
